Critical Legal Literacy: Reclaiming the Law as a Tool for Democratic Futures in Education

• In Event: The Role of Educational Policy in a Democratic Republic, as Framed by the Constitution and the Courts

Abstract

In politically polarized times, the law is often invoked to justify regressive policy shifts in education, such as the curricular bans and restrictions on equity initiatives seen today. Yet the field of education often treats the law as an external constraint rather than a participatory space for advocacy, meaning-making, and justice. This paper introduces the framework of Critical Legal Literacy (CLL) as a way for educators and scholars to engage the law as a dynamic site of contestation and democratic potential. Drawing on legal and educational theory, CLL reframes legal literacy as a core competency that empowers researchers, practitioners, and educators to pursue their educational goals and envision more just futures within and through the law.

Authors

• Christopher D. Thomas, University of Florida

• Jamie Kudlats, University of North Carolina - Charlotte